The present invention relates to a machine to empirically analyze the effect of the impact of foreign objects from a road upon the coating on body panels of an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a machine which is used to empirically analyze the effect of stone pecking damage on an automotive vehicle providing accelerated results and simulating such damage in a manner more akin to that which actually occurs during vehicle operation.
When an automotive vehicle is moving at a high speed, collisions of small stones or the like against paint coated surfaces of body panels adjacent the wheel wells are unavoidable. There are cases where such impacts from small stones and other foreign particles against the body panels form cracks in the paint or peel off the paint. Such damage is often called paint chipping. If the paint chipped body panel is exposed to water, ice or other precipitation, rust can form on the body panel. In many regions of the world such as the northern part of North America and the northern part of Europe where large quantities of rock salt and sand are scattered on roads to melt ice or add to the tractive value of the road pavement, it is particularly important that the paint on the portions of vehicle body panels close to the wheel wells be covered with a paint coating having a high degree of chip resistance.
The painting technique utilized for steel body panels of most automotive vehicles is a multiple step process wherein the body panel is first chemically treated with iron or zinc phosphate. An electro-deposited coating (i.e. primer), an intermediate base coat paint and a plurality of clear top coats are typically applied. In order to determine if such technique will provide a suitable coating which can withstand the normal impact with rocks or small objects, empirical testing is required.
Typically, the empirical testing is often performed by operating the vehicle over a special test track or an off-road test facility. Empirical testing at an off-road facility brings forth several disadvantages. One disadvantage is the time required to perform the test. To simulate real world conditions, the body panels on the test vehicle should be identical to those which will be placed on the production vehicle. Therefore, a long lead time must be provided between the road testing of new body styles and the production run of the body panel. Body styling is very important in the automotive industry and is sometimes the predominant factor of why a vehicle may or may not sell in the marketplace. It is desired that the actual body panel shape be kept secret. Accordingly, another disadvantage of road testing is the difficulty to conduct tests in real-world conditions and prevent new styling changes from being viewed by those who wish to destroy a manufacturer""s commercial secrecy.
Machines have been developed to test the adhesion of paint coatings on steel sheet test plaques. However, many of these machines are primarily directed toward the effects of environmental conditions upon the paint and are not truly directed toward determining the amount and distribution of paint chipping which can occur by impingement of articles upon the vehicle. Another major disadvantage of many prior testing machines is that they do not properly simulate actual road conditions. In many machines, rocks were simply thrown at or dropped upon or scrubbed into painted surfaces. The location of the body panel with respect to its actual location on the automotive vehicle was not properly simulated. As mentioned previously, much of the paint chip damage on an automotive vehicle comes from small stones or particles which have been accelerated by the vehicle wheels after the vehicle has driven over them. Therefore, it is desirable that the machine not only simulate the speed of the particle, but the relative directional velocity of the particle with respect to the vehicle wheel which accelerates the particle.
It is desirable to provide an empirical testing machine which can simulate stone pecking and give accelerated results allowing such data to be quickly incorporated into the design of the painted body panels. It is also desirable to provide an empirical testing machine which closely simulates the actual road conditions that the painted body panel is exposed to.
To meet the above-noted desires, the revelation of the present invention is made manifest. In a preferred embodiment, the machine of the present invention brings forth the freedom of accelerated empirical testing of stone pecking on a paint coating of an automotive vehicle body panel. The machine of the present invention aids in the preservation of commercial security in the development of automotive panels by providing empirical stone pecking tests upon coated surfaces of body panels that closely simulate actual, real-world conditions. Additionally, the machine of the present invention provides feedback to the design of the panels before production tooling is constructed.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an enclosure frame. A first conveyor wheel having a pivotal axis fixed with respect to the enclosure frame is also provided. Spaced from the fixed conveyor wheel is a second conveyor wheel which has a rotational axis fixed with respect to the enclosure frame. A conveyor belt is fitted upon the two conveyor wheels and provides a generally planar surface. A hub having a rotational axis generally vertically aligned with the second conveyor wheel is connected with a shaft. An automotive tire/wheel combination is mounted for rotation on the hub, with the tire being in contact with the conveyor belt planar surface. A variable speed motor torsionally coupled to the shaft powers the tire/wheel combination and the conveyor belt for rotation. A platform is provided which is pivotally mounted with respect to the enclosure. Connected on the platform is an electric motor which powers the shaft and is torsionally coupled with the tire/wheel combination and conveyor belt. A tubular conduit delivers stones to the conveyor""s planar surface. An aggravator manipulates the tubular conduit to increase the delivery of stones to the conveyor. A deflector is also provided for redirecting stones delivered to the tire by the conveyor and thereafter accelerated by the tire. A mounting system hangs an automotive vehicle coated body panel in a position commensurate to its position with respect to the vehicle wheel well. A bin is provided for receiving those stones accelerated by the tire and impacted with the body panel. The bin has an opening at an elevation lower than the planar surface and the bin has a lower outlet. An auger is provided for delivering the stones from an outlet of the bin to the tubular conduit. An electric motor is provided to power the auger.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine which can empirically test stone pecking on painted automotive vehicle body panels.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stone pecking testing machine which gives empirical results which closely approximate actual road conditions.
The above noted and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the invention as provided in the accompanying drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiment.